Sheet-delivery mechanism for printing-presses



1% Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. SCOTT. SHEET DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES. N0. 586,716.

Patented July 20, 1897.

(No Model.) 2 S11eets--Sheet 2- W. SOOTT. I SHEET DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

No. 586,716. Patented July 20, 1897.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER SCOTT, or .PLAINFIELD, NEW JERS Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,71Q,

datedJulyQO, 1897,

Application filed March6.,189. Serial No. 502,833. ihlomodel.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER-SCOTT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union -and 'State, of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Sheet-Delivery Mechanismfor Printing- Presses, of which the following'is a specifica tion.

The present invention relates to that class of printing-machines-in which the paper is drawn from a roll, the Web passed through and printed, folded, cut, and delivered.

In printing newspaperstwo, three, or more webs have been made use of, and these have been run through the printing-machine containing separate presses adapted to print upon each web, as in my Patent No. 467,265, and in such press the webs have been brought together and folded longitudinally. The inclines over which the webs have been passed have in some instances stood in the same direction and in other instances in opposite directions.

In my present improvement the inclines that fold venient in associating the printed webs, and I simplify the arrangement of rollers and give greater facility for directing the webs by placing the roller over which two or more of the webs pass so that the side of the roll from which the webs diverge is equidistant from the entering ends of the two folding-inclines that stand in opposite'directionsjand -1 combine with this roll asecond roll immediately adjacent to the, upper end of the folding-incline for guiding the paper as it passes upon such incline, thereby avoiding the necessity ofguidingthe'advancing end of the web of paper through between, .two closely-adjacent rolls at the ends of the folding-inclines. I also arrange the folding-inclines in such a manner that one of the webs can be split longitudinally and one part pass upon one incline andthe other part upon. the other incl-ineuto' be folded withthe full-width webs that an;- over such inclines, and I fold thewebs lon'gitudinally by the action of rolls that flatten the fold webs as they pass over.theffolding-inclines the web longitudinally are placed in the opposite directions, as this is mostconwithout producing creases in the same, and I have discovered-thatitis-advan-' I v amend the web 2, from 'theroll A" tageous to apply, considerable'tensionto the and between the flattening-rolls in order to prevent the papei fOrming-inm creases or puokers, and with this object in view the webs are perforated transversely and a break ing-bar applied to pullthe printed product away from the Web upon the line} of perforations, and the rolls, whichintervene between the breaking-bar and the folding-incline are made with reference to relieving the pressure upon theji'olded webs at the moment when the on ttin g or breaking operation takes place, 1

thereby causingthe pull which is applied to the sheets in breaking 'the folded product away from the web to 'act upon the web as it lies upon the folding-incline to apply sufiieient tension thereto to straighten out the paper. properly and reduce the risk of the formation of creases 'orfolds'to a minimum.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the ment as applied to a prin'ting' machine adapted to print from three'rolls of paper. Fig. 2 is an elevation representing the cutters, the breaker-bar, and, the rolls acting with the same. Fig. '3 isa modification in the ar-.

rangement 'of the folding devices that may be used with the present printing-machine. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a modification in the drawing-rolls. v

The rolls of paper are. represented at AA A the first plate-cylinders at BB E the first impressiomcylinders at C 0 C the second impression-cylinders at- D D D and the second plate-cylinders at E E E and Iremark that the inking devices for-the respective plate-cylinders may 'be of any desired character and the devices illustrated are of ordinary construction.

In the upper press illustrated the Web 1 passes over the roll a and downbetween the first plate-cylinder B and the first'impressionpresent improve" I cylinder 0, beneath such impression-cylinr de'r 0, up overthe second impression-cylinder Dzand down between the same andthe secfoldingmechanisni hereinafter dethe guide-roll oifand between' the o e plate-cylinder E andaround a guide or i delivery roll b and beneath "the.roll d to the plate -cylin- I der Baandfirst impression-cylinder G,.0ver

In the lower or third press of this printing machine the web 3 passes from the roll A, be-

neath the roll a, up between the first platecylinder 13 and the first impression-cylinder over such impression-cylinder and down below the second impression-cylinder D and up between the same and the second platecylinder E ,'and over the roll and along upon tapes 0 to the roll (Z and thence tothe folding mechanism. H

By the arrangement thus far described it -'will be observed that the webs 2 and 3 are brought together and supported by the tapes 0, and the surface that was printed bythe plate-cylinder E rests upon the tapes 0, and

the surfaces that lia'vefbeen printed by the plate-cylinders B B in giving the first impression are brought together, and in consequence ofthe distance traveled by the webs before they come together there is but little risk of offset the one on the other, especially in View of the fact that suchisurfaces have been embossed to-a slight-extent by the press'ureupon the opposite sides of the respective sheets by the plate-cylinders E and E and the last impressions upon these webs 2 and 3 coming outwardly are freely exposed to the Manhattan-came ink becomes sufficiently set by the time the webs reach the folding mechanism so that there is butlittle risk of offset when the webs l', 2, and 3 are associated together and folded longitudinally and cut transversely. r

The folding-inclines F and F are of a width adapted to receive the paper of the Webs fiatwise at the upper ends, and they convergeto the pairs of folding-rolls G G, so as to fold the webs-longitudinally as they are passed down over such folding-inclines, andthe rolls 4, 5, and 6 are immediately over one another and parallel withthe top edge of the foldingincline F, and the rolls 7 8, and 9 'act to grip pass throllgh between the pair of rollers G to the printed products are to be separated the the respective webs to such rolls 4, 5, and 6,

and it-is preferable that the rolls 7, 8, and 9 only act upon the margins of the paper, so as.

the erforators hereinafter described; but if web 2 is divided longitudinally by asli'tter 12 upon the shaft of the margin-rolls 8, and one .half of the \veb'2 passes over to the foldingincline F with the web 1, and the other half of the web 2 passes to the folding-incline F with the web 3, and in both instances the halfweb comes next to the folding-incline, and

hence is'carricd through by the full-width justing-roll 11, which may be raised or lowered to bring the whole and the half web-into proper register.

In some kinds of printing it is desirable to fold-one Web longitudinally on the incline-F and to fold two webs longitudinally on the incline F, but by the arrangement. before described two webs can be folded on the incline F and one on the incline F, or the web 2'can be slit longitudinally, and the products passing over the folding-inclines F and F will occupy exactly' the same relation-to each other, because the inc-line F stands in the reverse direction to the incline F, and the-pages will come in the proper relation to'each other upon the respective inclines and in the folded prod uc'tswithout making any change in the disposition of the forms upon the respective plate-cylinders, because the Web 3 is printed by the plate-cylinder B on theopposite side thereof from the impression g'iven'by the plate-cylinder B upon the web 1', and these surfaces of the respective webs come into contact with the folding-inclines F and vF, respectively,'and the surfaces of these webs that are printed by the plate-cylinders E and E I the webs-1 and 3 and printed in d uplicate upon the web 2. I

It is advantageous to separate the folding devices, as represented in Fig. 1; butif the folding-inclines are brought closelytogether,

as represented in Fig. 3, the sheets will be associated in exactly the same manner as before described and will be passed off between the pair of long folding-rolls G? in substantially the samemanner as they will'be' between the pairs of shorter folding-rolls G and In this case itis only necessary to ear lIO ploy a guide-roll 13 over the folding-incline F instead of using theroll a y. In both of the arrangements represented the's ides of the rolls 5 and 4 over which the webs passare in line with the upper end of 1 the folding-incline F, and hence the'fwebs h passing to that fold'ingincline'F from one or both rolls are free and unobstrueted,-so as to be easily guided by the pressman', and when" I the rollers are arranged as shown in Fig. 3'tl1e upper ends of the inclines 'F and F are e'qniw distant from the point of contact of the webs with the 10115, so'that the webs can be carried from that roll 'tof either of the inclines without changing the-adjustment and with- I go out obstruction due to numerous g'ui dingrolls that haveheretofore been necessary, an

in this Fig. 3 the web 2 is represented as slit longitudinally and one half passed tothe incline F and the other half to the incline F,

register of the webs will not be disturbedby' changing from oneincline to the other, be- 7 cause the contact of the web with the roll is directly over the apex of the inclines.

The devices hereinafter described are substantially the same when used with short rolls and with separate folding devices, one for 'each folder F F, as they will be when made longer, sons to correspond in length with the roll G to act upon the two longitudinallyfolded webs or products; but, as before inti mated, it is advantageous to! make use of separate folders and the rolls and cutters associated therewith, so as to more readily adjust the folding and cutting devices in bringing. them to the proper register. This arrangement, as represented, in Fig 1, allows for, the folders to be run entirely separate. Hence they only require adjustment to act in harmony with the webs as theyreach such folding devices instead of having to adjust the webs to bring them to the proper position for being simultaneously folded by one folding mechanism, as in Fig. 3. InFig. 2 I have represented the' rolls and devices that act with the folding-incline F, such devicesbeing duplicated to act with the'folding-incline F or aiade longer, so as to act upon both folded we s.

The rolls of the pair of rolls' G, located at them, but the rolls H are set sufficiently close together to act as drawing-rolls in pulling the paper of the web along over the incline F and passing the same'down to the perforating-cylinders I, which latter perforating-cylinders are of usual character,- one having a blade of points and the other a groove into which such points pass, thereby making a line of perforations transversely of the printed and folded webs, and after the webs have been thus I folded andperforated they pass between the rolls 1'5 and 14;, over which pass the tapes or belts 16 and 17, the tapes 16 passing around roll 18 and the tapes 17 passing around a roll 19,havin g a breaker-bar 20,which breakerbar may be constructed and operate substantially the same as that represented in Letters Patent No. 484,251, granted to me October cide the tension upon the paper is momenta,-

rily relieved and the cutting-cylinders do not grip the paper. Neither do the rolls (l nor the rolls l4 and 15, and the parts are so proportioned that at the moment the breaker-bar 2O grips the paperagainst the roller 18 with an accelerated movement, so as to break the sheets away from the web upon the line of the transverse perforations, the longitudinal grooves in the rolls H coincide, so that the tension, which is considerable, that is applied by the breaker-bar to the folded sheets in breaking them away from the web applies a pull to the webs as they lie upon the foldingincline, and hence the websare exposed to a tension that extends back to the upper ends of the folding-inclines, and the webs are drawn out straight and any wrinkles are re moved or any tendency to pucker or run untrue compensated, and the webs are made to register by the tension drawing out any slackness in either web.

By this improvement a great benefit is obtained in insuring the proper movement of the webs through the press, because the pull acts upon every folded product as separated and effectually rec-titles any tendency to irregularity in the movement and the paper is not therebyinjured, because it possesses more or less elasticity, and any frictional detention that may arise at one part or upon one web is compensated so as'to maintain the register of the respective pages as they are brought together in folding and cutting the webs.

If itis desired, larger rolls H may be made use of, each having two grooves, so as to relieve the grip upon the folded webs twice in each revolution,as illustrated by the diagram, Fig. '4, instead of once each revolution, as represented in Fig. 2.

- The webs folded longitudinally, associated together as before indicated, and perforated and separated as described may be delivered in any desired manner. I have represented an imposing-cylinder K, with belts f passing around the same and around the roll 19 and over the rolls 21 22 and beneath the rolls 23 and 24, the latter of which is preferably a tightener, and the bolts 9 pass around the rolls 25 and 26, and there is a binding-roll 27, acting in connection with guidesi28 .to keep the associated sheets together as they may be held by the grippers 2!) upon the imposingcylinder K, so as to bring two or more printed products-together before delivering them at the roll 25 and between the belts f and g, by which they are conveyed to anysuitable folding mechanism, but this part of the apparatus may be dispensed with and the longitudinally-foldedwebs pass from the breakercylinder 19 to any suitable foidor.

In Fig. 4 I have represented rolls 0 at the IXO ' in order that the gripping action the paper, and hence said perforators will ap- V web which is slacker.

- ing-incline, I in the surfaces of each roll a helical groove similar to a screw-thread to spread the paper bar, and instantly thereafter edges of the folding-incline F, which rolls 0 are driven by gearing p I at a surface speed slightly faster than the speed ofthe web of paper passing over such folding-incline F.

' These rolls aid in applying a slight tension to the web of paper as-it passes, over such foldand'it is advantageous to apply and prevent the formation of wrinkles in'the paper as it passes over the incline, andthese rolls are also advantageous becausethey lessen the tendency to blur or rub the ink in passing around the edges of the folding-in-g cline, because the surface speedi'of suchrolls .0 approximates the surface speed of the paper itself. Y

It is generally advantageous to relieve'the gripping action of vthe drawing-rolls H twice for each rotation of the perforating-cylinders,

I maybe released at the time the perforatorspass into ply a tension to the paper when the paper is free to be acted upon as it passes over the folding-incline, as well as when the'breakerbar 20 acts upon' the folded web or product to pull the same away from the advancing end of the web at the there are two forces applied to the web of paper of each produ'ctthat is delivered.

If one web is under greater tension than the adjoining Web the sheet is separated from said web first by the action 'of the breakerthe separation takes place at the line of perforations in the Thereby the slack web is the last one pulled up, which takes place during the time that the tighter, web has the opportunity to slightly contract, and in this I manner the constant equalization is going on once for each-product delivered as the sameis'broken away fromthe web, and this is in addition tothe pull before mentioned which results from the action of the perforators at the time when the-'drawing-rolls ll cease their hold upon the folded webs." I I v '.,I remark that the pulling action of the drawing-rolls Il may be relieved or lessened,

for the purposes aforesaid, by flattening one or both rolls art grooving them, as aforesaid, orby'aujto inatically lessening the force which thcyare pressed toward each other in any suitable manner.

Inprin tingmachines of the character hereinbcfore described l have found difliculty in regulating the tension'applied to the web as it is passed through the printing-press, be-

- cause as the web lessens in diameter as the web is'pull'ed off the leverage of the webagainst the friction detainingdevicc applied to the roll lessens. web an automatic tension-regulator for lessening the tension accordingijto the diameter of the roll, and with this'object in view the clamps D D are applied to the friction-Wheel O,that is upon a shaft or arbor passing through vwill be relieved is increased, perforations. Thereby I therefore apply to the] and connected'with the paper-roll A, and

there is a lever R, provided with a cam, that acts against one end of the clamping-segment D the other end of such clamping-segment D,-being' connected by an adjusting-screw with the clamping-segment D, which latter is attached at its lower end by a stud to the greater or less pressure from the' cam to the clamping-segment D", and the pressure and friction are relieved or lessened automatically as the roll of paper becomes smalleras the web is drawn 0 It will be apparent that the rolls H may be adjusted so that the grooves coincide aceu 'rately, and hence the pull will be relieved only during the time that the grooves coincide, but if. one groove is slightlyin advance of the other the time during which the hold and only one roll may be grooved instead of both, and a fiat surface on the roll will answer the same purpose as a groovcand be the equivalent of the same. v- I f v --In caseswhere I have before employed rolls and a folding-incline', the apex of which isv below a plane passing through the axes of such rolls, the ends of the rolls have been be hind or backof the folding-incline. I

In the present device the endsofthe rolls 3 G at the sides-of the apex of the incline are conical, as aforesaid, and I find that'the-conical surfaces keep the-fold toward the apex of the incline in such a manner as to insure a perfect longitudinal fold without the risk of tearing theip'aper or forming creases or wrinkles, and this result appears to be ef-- fected in consequence of the conical ends of the rolls coinciding with the shape that the paper web assumes as it is being drawn along over the apex of the incline;

In printing-presses such as shown in my Patent No. 558,424, where the guide-rolls have straight ends or are turned down to a smaller diameter, as represented in Fig. 6'of said patcut, and when the web is running tight or with-a normal tension, the point of the longitudinal folder within the fold of the paper keeps such paper in its proper condition for the fold to be made in line with the said point by the drawing-rolls, but should the web become loose the apex of the folding-incline does not fully distend the fold in the paper and it is liable to run through with false folds .or creases, resultingfrom the looseness of the paper or from coming into contact with the angular portion of the roll, but where the ends of the roll are made conical, as in the present improvements, the paper is kept in the form of a narrow loop, which is by the rolls pressed toward the place where the single fold is ultimately given in the paper by the drawing-roll, thus avoiding the false folds or creases which have sometimes been made, in the manner before indicated.

I claim as my invent-ion- 1. The combination in aprinting-machin, of two presses for printing upon separate webs and forwarding such webs in one generaldirection and in a flat condition, a roll over which such webs pass, two folding-inclines having converging edges and standing in opposite directions, a roll adjacent to the receiving end of each incline between which rolls and the inclines the webs of paper pass,

: having converging edges and standing-in opposite directions, a roll adjacent to the re 'ceiving end of each incline between which rolls and the inclines the webs of paper pass, the side of the roll from which the webs diverge in passing to the inclines being over and equidistant from the entrance ends of such inclines,.so that the webs of paper can be passed in either direction without throwing the printed matter out of register, guide and drawing rolls for drawing the folded webs over both inclines, and cutters or perforators acting simultaneouslyon both folded webs, substantially as set forth. v

3. The combination in a sheet -delivery mechanism, of a folding-incline, revolving perforating-cutters, forwarding rolls between the folding-incline and the perforating-cutters, one of such forwarding-rolls having a longitudinal depression forliberating the pull upon the folded webperiodically, and a breaker-bar acting to pull the perforated sheets or product from the web when the forwarding-rollscease. their hold upon the same forapplying a tension to the. web upon the longitudinal incline for straightening such web and maintaining'uniformity in the deli very of the product, substantially as set forth.-

4. The combination with a folding-incline for folding a web of paper longitudinally, of

rolls adjacent to the apex of the folding-im eline, such rollers being cylindrical, except at the end portion .closely adjacent to the" apex of the incline where such rolls areconical for guiding the paper-near the fold, andforwarding-rolls for 'appl'yipg tension to the web of paper after the same has passed the;

folding-incline and its rollers,

substantially as set forth. 51'

5. The combination with a folding-incline, of rollers at the edges of the incline, and gearing for driving the same at the surface speed or nearly so of the paper, forwarding-rolls for acting upon the webafter the same has been folded, and perforating-rolls for perforating the web transversely, set forth.

6.;The combination in a sheet-delivery mechanism, of a folder for folding the web of paperlongitudinally, forwarding-rolls with a longitudinal depression for releasing the grip upon the folded web periodically, mechanism for perforating the web transversely,

substantially as and a breaker-bar acting to apply tension to separate the sheet or sheets at the-line of perforations from the web and -to apply a tension upon the web as it passes over the longitudinal folding mechanism, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination in a sheet delivery mechanism, of a folder for folding the web of paper longitudinally, forwarding-rolls with a longitudinal depression for releasing the grip upon the folded web periodically,-mechanism for perforating the web transversely, a breaker-ba'r acting to apply tension to separate the sheet or sheets-at the line of perforation's from the web and to apply a tension? upon the web as it passes over the longitudinal folding mechanism, rollers and belts or tapes for conveying the perforated web from the perforator to the breaker-bar, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the folding-incline over which the paper passes and is folded longitudinally, of a perforating device and drawing-rolls acting intermittently upon the web to apply tension to the same and to liberate.

or lessen the hold of'such drawing-rolls upon the web while the perforating devices are actin g upon the web to apply tension to the same, substantially asset forth. 9. The combination with the folding-incline,- of drawing-rolls acting intermittently upon. the folded rolls cease to act upon the web, substantially as set forth. A

webof paper, a perforating device and a breaker-bar acting to separate the prod?) not from the web at the time the; drawing 10. The combination 1n a folding and sheetthe web is folded longitudinally,- perforating mechanism and abreaker-bar, drawing-rolls delivery mechanism, of an incline over which between the folding-incline and the perforatin g mechanism, sneh'drawingsrollsacting an tomatically? and intermittently to liberate their hold upon-the folded-webdnring the perforating operation and during thebreaking operation, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination with the axis for the web or roll of paper, of a friction-wheel and friction mechanism acting upon the wheel, thelever B and block resting upon the surface "of the roll of paper, a cam for actingupon the friction-clamp, and a connection therefrom to, thelever R, wherebythe friction applied to detain the web as drawn from the roll is automatically regulated according to the size of the roll of paper, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination with the folding-incline and the roll over which the web of paper passes to suohincline, of converging rolls at the edges of the incline, bevel-gearing and a shaft by which such rolls receive a rapid rotary movement as the paper passes around such rolls and is folded, substantially as set forth.

12%.- '[he combination with the foldin -in- ,cline over which the web is folded longitudinally, of two rolls for acting on the folded web, such rollers having conical ends that are closely adjacent to and support the paper WALTER SCOTT.

\Vitnessos:

GEO. '1. PINCKNEY, A. M. OLIVER. 

